Apple gets early approval for $500 million iPhone throttling settlement

According to Apple, the throttling was meant to extend the lifespans of phones by reducing the chances of sudden shutdowns as phones’ batteries degraded over time. The company didn’t initially explain the practice, however, leading some to believe it was trying to pressure customers into buying new phones (which reportedly happened in some cases). The lawsuit covers people who used the iPhone 6s, iPhone 7 and original iPhone SE before December 21st, 2017.

Like many large-scale settlements, you shouldn’t expect a windfall. The arrangement would pay each iPhone user $25, and that number is only likely to climb (up to $500 per person) if the total payouts, attorney fees and expenses don’t reach at least $310 million. Most likely, this will only help you cover the cost of a battery replacement if you’re still using a device included in the settlement.

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